Water from a sprinkler head is checked by Drew Mathers of ConserVision during a water audit at the home of Maryhill Gleason in Sunnyvale, Calif. on Friday, May 23, 2014. Mathers checked for leaks in the irrigation system. He also determined whether the sprinklers were over watering vegetation that would ultimately waste water. (Gary Reyes/Bay Area News Group)

With the drought fading and temperatures heating up, it’s no wonder more sprinklers are popping up. But is it too soon?

Some homeowners and environmentalists worry water restrictions are coming off too fast in a state struggling to have enough water for people, businesses, fish and wildlife.

Water industry officials, however, say Californians have proved that once they learn to conserve, they don’t forget those habits.

“I think history shows over time that overall water use stays down and on the slow side after droughts,” said Jennifer Allen, a spokeswoman for the Contra Costa Water District, where the board on Wednesday will consider ending a drought surcharge imposed last year to encourage saving. “Each drought recycle, we see a smaller rebound as conservation becomes more of a way of life.”

Customers in Contra Costa Water’s treated water service area in Concord, Clayton and neighboring central county communities consumed the same amount of water in 2015 — the fourth year of a drought — as they did in 1978 despite a significant gain in population growth, officials said.

The neighboring East Bay Municipal Utility District reports a similar trend.

EBMUD’s customers collectively used 134 million gallons per day in April this year, the same figure as in April 1978 even though there were 300,000 fewer people being served 38 years ago.

“I think droughts are creating a new norm,” said Andrea Pook, a spokeswoman for the district, which decided last week to pull the plug on its drought surcharges on water rates. “We don’t expect people’s water use to go way up after drought restrictions end.”

Officials say new technology with more efficient sprinkler controls, toilets, and clothes and dish washing machines also factor in.

Landscaping changes also made a difference in holding down water use as homeowners replaced thirsty lawns with drought resistant plants, officials said.

Still, one San Ramon homeowner said he is concerned that water districts are moving too fast to end use restrictions in a state struggling to meet the demand for water.

“I see more homes switching to drought resistant plants,” said Jim Zelinski, “but I also see some people running sprinklers full-bore at 3 in the afternoon and were just out of the rainy season.”

In Danville early Tuesday morning, Cindy Butler turned on the sprinklers on her mother’s front yard for a few minutes to preserve the landscaping.

Drought restrictions or not, she plans to keep water use low.

“I just want enough to keep landscaping alive,” said Butler. “We are not big users.”

Some water districts such as the Alameda County Water District will wait to consider whether to drop its drought surcharges until after the state water board votes Wednesday on the governor’s plan to end mandatory conservation mandates for more than 400 water districts in the state.

The Dublin San Ramon Services District lowered its drought water rates in November, but it still maintains what amounts to a small surcharge on bills.

The district also has continued to enforce a rule limiting households to no more than 4,480 gallons per week — the equivalent of 640 gallons per day. The district, also in November, relaxed its outdoor watering limit from a maximum of twice a week to three times a week.

Pleasanton in November suspended penalties for excess water users and has not seen the need to bring them back, officials said.

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